14 July 2022
The region’s long-term water security will soon be bolstered with the rollout of smart water meter technology to Stanthorpe properties on the town water supply following Council’s decision to engage contractor Taggle Systems to supply and install new-age digital meters.
With real-time access to actual water usage data, the installation of smart water meters will support water efficient practices and save water by detecting water leaks early and identifying water consumption patterns.
Southern Downs Councillor Stephen Tancred said the financial and operational benefits of smart meters to the region could not be understated and the new digital infrastructure would offer residents an additional tool to make informed choices towards sustainable water management.
“Council is addressing long-term water security through new innovative infrastructure and smart meters offer a multi-pronged approach to conserving water,” Councillor Tancred said.
“By digitally collecting, transmitting and analysing water-usage data, residents will have real-time access to data through an online portal to monitor and manage water more efficiently. Smart meters will help residents and Council get sharper and smarter about how we use and save water. This is a brilliant tool to help prepare for the next drought.
“Likewise leaky pipes are costly and through smart meters, we will have increased capacity to detect, identify and fix leaks fast to reduce water loss, associated costs, save water in our dams and potentially delay future water restrictions.
“The smart meters will also minimise ‘ghost water’. Our water treatment plants currently store, treat and pump up to 25% lost water that never goes through a residential or business meter because of underground leaks, possible unmetered supplies and illegal connections in our old distribution pipes.
“Smart water technology is currently being used across Australia with significant consumer benefits and the installation of smart water meters on the Southern Downs ensures our region is keeping up-to-date with best practices.”
The drought-proofing project also offers broader and ongoing benefits in demand management, revenue forecasting, water billing, district metered areas set-up and increasing knowledge of network operations and customer behaviours.
Timeframes for the rollout out are yet to be finalised but the project is expected to commence mid to late August.
Council was awarded grant funding of $0.94M for the project under the Local Economic Recovery Program jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
The grant was provided for the installation of smart metering technology in Stanthorpe in response to future climate and natural hazard conditions as the project strategically aligned with the Southern Downs Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2021-2031, specifically the Valuing Water priority.
The contract with Taggle Systems includes the supply, installation and integration a fully operational smart water meter system, including all hardware, software programs and applications, network access and required licenses to automatically report water usage and complement Council’s current billing processes.
Last edited date 19 Jul 2022